100 Of The Best One-Hit Wonders To Get Your Groove On

You don't need a fancy studio to write a song, and Somebody That I Used To Know proves the point. Gotye wrote this mid-tempo art pop love song in his parent's barn on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. Of course, anything based on relationships and their untimely ending resonates with audiences, but that alone isn't the key to success. Gotye used a sample from Brazilian jazz guitarist Luiz Bonfa's song "Seville" and incorporated a jingle from a nursery rhyme "Baa Baa Black Sheep" on a played xylophone to his hit. Maybe the familiar sounds, the heartbreak, and the novel way he has combined them were what made Gotye a one-hit wonder?

Now here's a song that has been rejected almost as many times as it has hit the top of the music charts once recorded. Initially, It's Raining Men was offered to Donna Summer, who was firmly against the song's "blasphemous" lyrics. The piece was then passed on to Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand, and Cher, all of whom said 'thanks, but no.' Finally, after long deliberation, a band called the Two Tons reluctantly recorded it in 1982. Shortly after the single's release, Two Tons changed their name into The Weather Girls, and the rest is history. Not only has this song appeared in many movies (for instance, Geri Halliwell's rendition in Bridget Jones's Diary), topped plenty of charts, but it is also perceived as an unofficial gay anthem. Yet, despite its huge fame, the mystery behind the song's meaning remains.

The Proclaimers, a Scottish duo consisting of twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid, have hit the jackpot with their I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) single. Released in 1988, it quickly became a regular occurrence in various charts worldwide for several years. Almost two decades later, in 2007, The Proclaimers re-recorded the song for UK's Comic Relief charity telethon, and this version of the piece outperformed the original chart run. Not bad for a song that Craig wrote while waiting to go to a football match.

Okay, folks, time for some fun facts! While maybe Mambo Nr.5 isn't on the peak of this list, it wins for the most random would-be use of a song. Mambo Nr. 5 was destined to become the theme song for the 2000 Democratic National Convention in the US, but the plan was quickly scratched. Yup, it's because the line "A little bit of Monica in my life" seemed too risque and might've been associated with the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. Now that would've been fun to watch! Anyhow, the Mambo Nr. 5 version that we all know was recorded by a German artist Lou Bega and it's the second count of a song encountering legal issues on our list. See, it was originally composed and recorded by Cuban musician Dámaso Pérez Prado. Though Bega only used riffs from the original, it was still solid ground for a seven-year-long copyright trial.

Here's another artist who isn't really a one-hit wonder - Bobby McFerrin has a discography of eighteen records and has collaborated with such greats as Chick Corea, Dizzy Gilespie, Quincy Jones, Al Jerreau, and many many others. However, none of his other works were so impactful as Don't Worry Be Happy, so we'll still consider it a one-hit wonder. What's interesting about this song is that it was the first-ever acapella song to have reached number one positions in Billboard's Hot 100 chart. All the 'instruments' that you hear in the background of McFerrin's singing are overdubbed voice parts and other sounds that he made himself. This kind of novelty and an honest happy-go-lucky tone of the piece is what has made it an iconic one.

You might know this song from the iconic debut movie by Quentin Tarantino or from the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Supernatural series, who both re-enacted the same torture scene using the same cheerful song. But, what you might not know is that Stuck In The Middle With You was written and performed by Gerry Rafferty - remember the song called Baker Street and the historical sax solo in it? Well, it's the same Gerry! Also, this song was released in 1973, making it 48-years-old as of today. Something that stays relatable and enjoyable for such a long time is definitely a wonder hit in our book!

As with plenty of the one-hit wonders on our list, the version of Tainted Love that has gained laurels was a cover and not an original song. Initially released by Gloria Jones in 1965, the song gained plenty of underground popularity but was a flop otherwise until English vocal-and-synth duo Soft Cell picked it up in 1981. Their version of this Northern soul piece reached the top number one position in six countries at the time and later gained numerous covers from various artists, including Marilyn Manson.

It turns out you don't even need to be a 'real' band to become a one-hit wonder. Sugar, Sugar, a song that's probably spinning in your head right now, was originally performed by the cartoon band The Archies, who were a part of an animated series called The Archie Show. However, before gracing many households' TV screens, this piece was offered to The Monkees, who, of course, forcefully rejected it. Nevertheless, The Archies and their Sugar, Sugar became a worldwide phenomenon and amassed six million sales of the single in 1969 worldwide.

Scandinavians are notoriously famous for their abilities to come up with one-hit-wonder artists and songs, so it probably wouldn't be too surprising to learn that Take On Me hails from Norway. This time though, the song wasn't based on some Eurovision Song Contest type of modus operandi but instead went in a less trodden path by combining synth pop with live instruments and unique falsetto singing supplied by Morten Harket. The video of this hit is also noteworthy as it was very innovative with its live-band pencil-sketch sequence.

If you'd like to know the exact meaning behind the song, remember the term la petite mort, and you'll get it. This power ballad and debut single was released by an English pop rock band Cutting Crew way back in 1896 and then released to the United States a year later. There, this super hit has even reached the number 1 position on Billboard's Hot 100 list. In early 2020, (I Just) Died In Your Arms was re-released as an orchestral version, together with several other renditions for the band's second compilation album. 

Seemingly cheerful and delivered in a relaxed, I-chill-for-living tone, the song actually talks about finding your life in shambles after depending on cannabis for way too long. Written and performed by American rapper Afroman, this song was released in 2001 and rose from obscurity to popularity after circulating around the Internet for some time. However, Afroman isn't your typical one-hit wonder, as he has recorded more than thirty albums and has been hustling his homemade records since he was eight. Nevertheless, Because I Got High is his only chart-topper to this day.

Now that's a one-hit wonder version of a song that's wildly different from its original version. First recorded by B.J. Thomas in 1968, it didn't have the legendary "Ooga-Chaka-Ooga" passage. Also, the instrumental part of the song relied heavily on the charms of an electric sitar. Then, by its second rendition, made by a British musician Jonathan King, Hooked On A Feeling was supplemented by the iconic intro. Finally, in 1974, the band Blue Swede embellished the "Ooga-Chaka" part even more, and after that, the song became out-of-control famous. Also, it's the second song from our list included in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs soundtrack. I guess the man just loves himself a good one-hit wonder!

Video Killed The Radio Star, a new wave synth-pop song released in 1979, instantly found substantial commercial success, topping many charts worldwide. It's another great example of how something original and never-heard-before can gain popularity among the masses. But oh the irony - although the song expresses concerns about the impact of modern technologies on media arts, Video Killed The Radio star was the first-ever music video to be played on MTV in August 1981. Though The Buggles have continued with their music careers for several decades, they will forever be known by this iconic one-hit wonder.

Name one other song that made so many teenage girls sigh and cry into their pillows over some Josh or Lucas; I'll wait. In all seriousness, though, Natalie Imbruglia's Torn was a massive success for a debuting artist. The song wasn't originally written by or meant for Natalie and was first recorded in Danish by Lis Sørensen. But it was definitely Imbruglia's talent that made this piece into a megahit. Later, the singer did have more singles that had reached the Top 40 in various charts, but Torn is her career-defining moment, unparalleled to her later works.

I admit I was fooled into thinking that I'm Too Sexy is a cheesy no-brainer, two-chord tune that has gained popularity purely because of its simplicity. However, it is actually a decently composed ditty meant to make fun of self-centered bodybuilders and the apparatus of the fashion industry. So good, in fact, that the Fairbrass brothers of Right Said Fred secured themselves a performance for none other but Queen Elizabeth herself. Not only that, but they've also performed with Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, and David Bowie. The things you learn!

Recorded purely as a space filler for the B side of Carl Douglas' I Want To Give You My Everything single vinyl, this song was made in ten minutes, thinking nobody would listen to it anyway. Upon its release, Kung Fu Fighting did not perform well in the UK charts but gained some popularity in clubs. But, right after its release in the US, Kung Fu Fighting shot straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, not only gaining notorious popularity but also an unlikely title. In 1975, Kung Fu Fighting was declared the year's highest-earning soul music track played on jukeboxes in the United States. Composed using the quintessential Oriental riff, embellished with 'huhs' and 'hahs' together with chopping sounds, it was right on time for the ‘70s martial arts film craze.

Another thing that is not necessarily needed for a hit song is extensive time spent writing it, as is the case with Pumped up Kicks. Mark Foster, the leading soul of Foster The People, wrote this chart-topper in just five hours while working as a commercial jingle writer. His other choice for that momentous day was to go to the beach and laze around. We guess he didn't regret his decision to stay at the studio and do some work instead. This song also falls under the sleeper hit category; Foster dropped it as a free download in 2010 but it became a hit in 2011 after going viral on various Internet sites.

Still performing today, Dexys Midnight Runners aren't a one-hit wonder band per se, but nothing else has made them as famous as Come On Eileen. Released in 1982, the song quickly gained a solid stance in various charts worldwide and even got a Brit Award for The Best British Single in 1983. Though Come On Eileen was presumably inspired by the songwriter Kevin Rowland's teenage love, the Eileen from the song is a composite meant to make a point about Catholic repression. Interestingly enough, Dexys Midnight Runners have recorded and performed various versions of the song, some of them including a Celtic-fiddle solo or an acapella coda, both based on an Irish Folk song, "Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms."

Heavy with synths and loaded with glorious soul vocals, this quintessential ‘90s Eurodance piece by Trinidadian-German artist Haddaway positively exploded upon its release in 1993. The ideas used for this song were very fresh and unlike anything else at the time. And it worked - What Is Love peaked as the top song in thirteen countries and garnered plenty of accolades pronouncing the piece as one of the defining dance songs of the era. Interestingly enough, the female vocal part used in this dance anthem came straight from a sample compilation CD 'Datafile 1,' meant for DJs and producers. Yet, there's no factual information on who supplied the famous woah woahs.

Utterly happy and thoroughly catchy, Walking on Sunshine is one of the most commercially used songs in history. It's one of those rare cases when releasing just one megahit song might provide for you for the rest of your life. And Walking on Sunshine is estimated to have made a million dollars a year up until 2010. Bear in mind that it was released in 1985, so that's plenty of years to save for your retirement plans.

Call it a drinking anthem or anything else you like, but there's actual depth to Chumbawamba's irritating chant by the name of Tubthumping. Since its inception in 1982, Chumbawamba has advocated for various pressing social issues, such as feminism, gay liberation, animal rights, and many others. And in the case of their 1997's megahit Tubthumping, it's about the resilience of ordinary people and the struggle of the middle class. Not about one's ability to drink ten pints of lager in a row, as some would think. And though it's highly unusual for an anarchist band to become a worldwide success, it was precisely the case with Chumbawamba.

First of all, let's get some things straight - Who Let the Dogs Out is a cover song, originally recorded by a (here it comes) Trinidadian Calypso/Soca/Junkanoo artist Anslem Douglas. And to answer the old-as-the-earth-itself question, pleading for a meaning behind this hit, Anslem has provided an answer in a 2016 interview published by the Revelist. So without teasing you any further - the song has a heavy feminist undertone and is really a men-bashing piece. The Dogs, get it? Although it was ranked both as the most annoying and the worst song ever in charts by Rolling Stone and Spinner, respectively, it was and still is an iconic piece of the 2000s.

Though The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony has reached the top of the Olympus, it came with bitter consequences. The Indie anthem has been plagued with legal controversies and lawsuits for plagiarism, copyrights, and royalties. At one point, the royalties for this song were accredited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards since it sampled an orchestral rendition of their song called The Last Time. And they got all that the song earned up until 2019 when Jagger and Richards ceded their rights to Bitter Sweet Symphony's writer Richard Ashcroft. However, regardless of the various credits disputes, Bitter Sweet Symphony still is one of the defining tracks of the Britpop era.

In the case of Los Del Rio's Macarena, simplicity is genius. A repeated two-chord progression, easy lyrics (though most of us still sang it like "hfhfhashshsh MACARENA"), catchy rhythm, and a simple dance to go with it made this one-hit wonder explode worldwide. Not only has it reached the sought-after Top 40 of various charts plenty of times and stayed there for a record-breaking 60 weeks, but the song also had a dance craze attributed to it. And believe me when I tell you that all of us that were alive during the second part of the ‘90s had danced the Macarena at least once (if not studied it immensely in front of a mirror).

This one-hit wonder comes from a long line of successfully borrowed content. The DJ duo Duck Sauce used an extensive sample from German disco band's Boney M 1974 hit "Gotta Go Home," who, in turn, used 1973 content from a song "Hallo Bimmelbahn" by Nighttrain. And if this sounds a bit confusing, you are definitely not alone. Nonetheless, this song is an example that a hit song doesn't always have to be original through and through but instead served in a novel way. Also, mentioning the one and only Barbara Streisand helps if you're aiming for that Top 40!

If not for the Warner Bros. Records lack of available bands at the time, The Rembrandts might not have been the ones to add I'll Be There For You to their singles' roster. Initially, producers of the iconic TV series Friends wanted to use R.E.M's song called Shiny Happy People as the theme sound. Still, R.E.M. declined the proposal, thus passing on the torch to The Rembrandts. They, too, weren't thoroughly excited about the prospect of writing a theme song for a TV series, but that's precisely how this chart-topper was born. The Rembrandts did have a few other singles entering the charts territory, but it's I'll Be There For You they'll forever be remembered by.

Released in 1983 by a German band called Nena, this heavily political song about the meaninglessness of war became an instant success in Europe and Japan, also appearing in the US charts. A year later, the band supplied an English version of the song called 99 Red Balloons, but, interestingly enough, the interpretation did not chart at all. So maybe you don't always need to understand the lyrics to find a song catchy? Nevertheless, the considerable popularity of 99 Luftballons made Nena a bona fide one-hit wonder band.

The case of Steam and their megahit Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye is a curious one - upon the release of the single in 1969, the band Steam was actually a fictitious one. It was just two guys, Paul Leka and Gary DeCarlo, playing in the studio, and the band that you see on the single's cover and in the music video had nothing to do with recording or performing the song. Despite that fact, the song topped various charts upon its release in 1969 and a few years later became strongly associated with various sporting events. The catchy tune and simple lyrics proved to be the perfect chant for escorting losers out of the field.

Brought to you by Biz Markie, whose honorific nickname was "The Clown Prince of Hip Hop," Just A Friend is a thoroughly enjoyable, fun, and catchy comedy/pop hip hop track. Though this song was never as big or widespread as, for instance, Haddaway's What Is Love, Just A Friend still enjoyed its fair share of success in the US. Biz Markie used the 1968 song "(You) Got What I Need" by Freddie Scott as the base for his track's chorus and rapped about a failed romance on top of it. That, and Markie's nonchalant attitude towards the pop scene, is what made the song so influential at the time. Although Biz Markie's career spanned beyond Just A Friend, without any other singles of his topping the charts, Biz was successfully inaugurated into the one-hit wonders hall of fame.